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Stitches
Oakland Police Detective Michael Taylor is faced with another gruesome case: a dead man with no eyes and lips sewn shut.
After catching a grisly Bay Area serial killer, Michael is hit on all sides by change. He starts his investigation with a rookie detective for a partner, his love life is in turmoil, and the pressure at the PD is mounting as the newly minted partners receive a second case that is being pressed as a priority. Michael, the consummate loner, has to manage all of his new relationships, keep his wits and juggle the demands of the PD as he tries to get justice for his victim.
Just as the tag team start to hit a stride, the murder attempts start to pile up and Michael is in the crosshairs. The duo must work fast to defend their victim and save Michael’s life.
After catching a grisly Bay Area serial killer, Michael is hit on all sides by change. He starts his investigation with a rookie detective for a partner, his love life is in turmoil, and the pressure at the PD is mounting as the newly minted partners receive a second case that is being pressed as a priority. Michael, the consummate loner, has to manage all of his new relationships, keep his wits and juggle the demands of the PD as he tries to get justice for his victim.
Just as the tag team start to hit a stride, the murder attempts start to pile up and Michael is in the crosshairs. The duo must work fast to defend their victim and save Michael’s life.
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About the author
Tiffany Christina Lewis
13 books159 followersTiffany is the author of seven fiction books, two non-fiction books, and has earned publication more than a dozen times in anthologies and magazines.
She’s the queen of plotting, a full-time beta reader with a podcast to prove it, and the Editor in Chief at Rebellion LIT. Additionally, she volunteers as a Board member with WriteHive, working year round to provide free, inclusive events, programs, and resources for writers of all backgrounds. Her goal is to help as many authors with as many author-ly things as she can.
A Bay Area native, Tiffany currently lives in Sacramento, CA with her family and Miniature Pinscher.
She’s the queen of plotting, a full-time beta reader with a podcast to prove it, and the Editor in Chief at Rebellion LIT. Additionally, she volunteers as a Board member with WriteHive, working year round to provide free, inclusive events, programs, and resources for writers of all backgrounds. Her goal is to help as many authors with as many author-ly things as she can.
A Bay Area native, Tiffany currently lives in Sacramento, CA with her family and Miniature Pinscher.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 26, 2021
Detective Michael Taylor works in Oakland, California and is investigating a crime where the victim, a known drug dealer, was found with his face mutilated. He’s also helping to guide a new partner, a rookie detective who doesn’t relish the grunt work of policing. I really liked how this police procedural gave so much detail into the drudgery and unglamorous side of cop work like Michael’s partner having to take hours to go through databases looking for a match on a tattoo or reading through a box of mostly useless notebooks looking for any small clue. Great characters with some romantic drama for Michael, too, as two women who are interested in him fight for his attention. (I started with book 2 in the series and probably missed some things from book 1 but I still found everything easy to follow.) This high-octane crime thriller with awesome fight scenes kept me biting my nails all the way to the end. Bring on book three!
March 21, 2019
Rating: 5 stars!
The second book, Stitches, has Michael getting hit on all sides. He’s single and what seemed like a good relationship in book one, didn’t turn out to be. Michael prefers to work alone but he gets a partner in this book and is having to adapt. They’re given another case, even more mysterious than the first book, but just when Michael is seeing a string to pull he’s ordered to work another case. Every step Michael takes forward, he gets pushed back and is drawing a lot of unwanted attention from those that would prefer he not figure everything out.
Michael also meets a new woman, but is dealing with the fallout from Vanessa who is not letting go. I was disappointed in the turn of Michael’s relationship with Vanessa, though I kind of like the new woman in his life. But, this is also why I prefer my thrillers/mysteries/police procedures to be more about the murder and hunt for the murderer and less about the relationship between couples. I like to have my main character in a relationship so that it’s there, but not dominating the story.
Regardless of Michael’s love life, or lack of one, I’d still highly recommend this series! The murders Michael is having to solve are multi-faceted, and though I thought I knew who the killer was, there were a lot of prongs to this investigation. I can’t wait to read more from this author, and hopefully a lot more in this series!
**Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.**
The second book, Stitches, has Michael getting hit on all sides. He’s single and what seemed like a good relationship in book one, didn’t turn out to be. Michael prefers to work alone but he gets a partner in this book and is having to adapt. They’re given another case, even more mysterious than the first book, but just when Michael is seeing a string to pull he’s ordered to work another case. Every step Michael takes forward, he gets pushed back and is drawing a lot of unwanted attention from those that would prefer he not figure everything out.
Michael also meets a new woman, but is dealing with the fallout from Vanessa who is not letting go. I was disappointed in the turn of Michael’s relationship with Vanessa, though I kind of like the new woman in his life. But, this is also why I prefer my thrillers/mysteries/police procedures to be more about the murder and hunt for the murderer and less about the relationship between couples. I like to have my main character in a relationship so that it’s there, but not dominating the story.
Regardless of Michael’s love life, or lack of one, I’d still highly recommend this series! The murders Michael is having to solve are multi-faceted, and though I thought I knew who the killer was, there were a lot of prongs to this investigation. I can’t wait to read more from this author, and hopefully a lot more in this series!
**Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.**
April 14, 2020
When a victim of gruesome torture turns up in Oakland, CA, Detective Michael Taylor is put on the case to figure out who the dead man is and what happened to him. Why was he dumped in public? Why were his lips stitched shut? What secrets does he hold?
This is book two in Tiffany Lewis’ Michael Taylor series, but you certainly don’t need to read book one in order to understand Stitches. Lewis does a great job setting the scene and introducing Michael and the rest of the Oakland cops and cast for this high stakes murder mystery. While the story has several POVs, Michael and his partner, Alex, take the spotlight as they work together on not one, but two murder cases.
Chock full of PD descriptions and lingo, Stitches takes the reader behind the scenes of an investigation. Not just the action scenes though - finding the victim, the interviews, and the chase. Lewis shares the full process with us, from databases and informants to desk work and evidence cataloguing. As someone with little experience in and knowledge of detective work, I loved being able to visualize each step in the process and how different departments interacted. It created a well-rounded story that felt detailed enough to be real.
And of course, what’s a good secretive story without some heart-pounding action? (I promise to keep this spoiler-free!) Lewis does a great job setting the stakes for this mystery, and once the case gets hot, she steps it up another level! When the danger hits too close to home for Michael, he must depend on his wits and partner in order to stay safe and finally close the case. The action scenes were well-written and easy to follow, and terrifying enough that I was on the edge of my seat hoping for Michael to survive.
If you can’t get enough of Stitches, there’s more! Lewis sets the stage for an even bigger scheme as Stitches comes to a close, with even higher stakes for Michael and Alex.
This is book two in Tiffany Lewis’ Michael Taylor series, but you certainly don’t need to read book one in order to understand Stitches. Lewis does a great job setting the scene and introducing Michael and the rest of the Oakland cops and cast for this high stakes murder mystery. While the story has several POVs, Michael and his partner, Alex, take the spotlight as they work together on not one, but two murder cases.
Chock full of PD descriptions and lingo, Stitches takes the reader behind the scenes of an investigation. Not just the action scenes though - finding the victim, the interviews, and the chase. Lewis shares the full process with us, from databases and informants to desk work and evidence cataloguing. As someone with little experience in and knowledge of detective work, I loved being able to visualize each step in the process and how different departments interacted. It created a well-rounded story that felt detailed enough to be real.
And of course, what’s a good secretive story without some heart-pounding action? (I promise to keep this spoiler-free!) Lewis does a great job setting the stakes for this mystery, and once the case gets hot, she steps it up another level! When the danger hits too close to home for Michael, he must depend on his wits and partner in order to stay safe and finally close the case. The action scenes were well-written and easy to follow, and terrifying enough that I was on the edge of my seat hoping for Michael to survive.
If you can’t get enough of Stitches, there’s more! Lewis sets the stage for an even bigger scheme as Stitches comes to a close, with even higher stakes for Michael and Alex.
April 30, 2021
A Gripping Murder Mystery
This is outstanding storytelling. The backdrop is Oakland, California where descriptive, bona fide, relatable, and interesting multi-racial and multi-ethnic characters reside, along with great dialogue and vibrant venues. Protagonist Michael Taylor, a popular detective with a reputation of working alone, gets a new partner, Detective Alexander Jamison to work on a gruesome murder case. The fact that Jamison is a conformist make for compelling and riveting interactions between the two detectives. However, when Detective Taylor receives a message from an author who wants to interview him regarding a serial killer Taylor arrested for an impending true crime book, the narrative takes on a life of its own. Moreover, when Vanessa Jones, Taylor’s ex-girlfriend sends him a text, the plot widens, revealing more twists and turns, unrequited love, lust, corrupt police officers, drug trafficking, secrets and lies, betrayal, and deception. The tale will keep you guessing to the very end, with an ending you will never see forthcoming, reminding us that no matter how much money, influence, or power you have, your dire acts will have dreadful consequences.
This is outstanding storytelling. The backdrop is Oakland, California where descriptive, bona fide, relatable, and interesting multi-racial and multi-ethnic characters reside, along with great dialogue and vibrant venues. Protagonist Michael Taylor, a popular detective with a reputation of working alone, gets a new partner, Detective Alexander Jamison to work on a gruesome murder case. The fact that Jamison is a conformist make for compelling and riveting interactions between the two detectives. However, when Detective Taylor receives a message from an author who wants to interview him regarding a serial killer Taylor arrested for an impending true crime book, the narrative takes on a life of its own. Moreover, when Vanessa Jones, Taylor’s ex-girlfriend sends him a text, the plot widens, revealing more twists and turns, unrequited love, lust, corrupt police officers, drug trafficking, secrets and lies, betrayal, and deception. The tale will keep you guessing to the very end, with an ending you will never see forthcoming, reminding us that no matter how much money, influence, or power you have, your dire acts will have dreadful consequences.
March 11, 2022
Detective Michael has his hands full. A serial killer, and more. Plenty of action and mystery to keep you guessing. Ready for the next.
March 1, 2024
What an awesome book. Hard to stop reading as one wants to know what comes next in the constantly turning cases.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews